US President Donald Trump bows his head for a prayer delivered during a cabinet meeting at the White House, alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (2nd L) and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (R)

One of the US president's cabinet members thanked God Wednesday for giving America Donald Trump and his tax cut plan.

The prayer was recited by Ben Carson, a fervent member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the secretary of housing and urban development, after an ebullient Trump addressed a variety of issues as cameras rolled at the outset of a cabinet meeting.

Trump was smelling victory as Congress prepared to give final approval to his sweeping tax cut plan.

The president, who enjoys strong support among evangelical Christians, asked Carson to say "grace" -- a prayer usually said before a meal. Trump added that reporters could stick around for it.

"You can stay if you want, because you need the prayer more than I do, I think. You may be the only ones," said Trump, who frequently slams news outlets critical of him as "fake news."

Then, Carson said this: "Our kind father in heaven, we're so thankful for the opportunities and the freedom you've granted us in this country. We thank you for the president and for cabinet members who are courageous, who are willing to face the winds of controversy in order to perhaps provide a better future for those who come behind us."

He continued: "We're thankful for the unity in Congress that has presented an opportunity for our economy to expand so that we can fight corrosive debt that has been destroying our future."

The tax cut plan is forecast to swell the US deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade, while Republicans prefer to focus on the argument that the tax plan will spur economic growth.

After Carson's prayer, Vice President Mike Pence gushed about the president, saying he was "deeply humbled as your vice president to be able to be here."

In a cabinet meeting back in June, cabinet members took turns praising Trump. His then chief of staff Reince Priebus personal blog (please click the following website) said it was a "blessing" to serve him.

Priebus resigned in July as part of a staff shakeup at the White House.